Last Friday (3/21/25), the Jewish Student Association (JSA) observed Purim. Purim commemorates an ancient plot to kill all Jews in Persia, orchestrated by Haman the Agagite (This epithet is a symbolic allegory to King Agog, the leader of a nomadic tribe that is portrayed as a historical enemy of the Jewish people.) His plan was thwarted by Queen Esther and her cousin, Mordechai. This miraculous turn of events led to a night of merriment and joyous celebration. It is celebrated by reading a scripture called the Megillah, charitable giving, and making Hamantaschen, which are triangular cookies. At HHS, club members learned about Purim and then made and enjoyed delicious Hamantaschen. Hamantaschen are shaped like Haman’s hat, and eating them is a symbolic act of destroying Haman. They are a slightly crumbly, buttery cookie with a pocket of jam or a poppy seed filling in the center. The texture is that of a cake crossed with shortbread. Everyone had fun and people really indulged in the Hamantaschen.

Above are JSA Co-Presidents, Alexa and Toby

Single-Serve Hamantaschen (Makes 2-3 cookies)

I wasn’t able to make the Hamantaschen during the JSA meeting because I had a doctor’s appointment, so I decided to make some Hamantaschen at home. The cookie is really tasty, but it is fairly unhealthy, and with my poor self-control, making a big batch was a very bad idea. I experimented a little and ended up writing this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour (plus extra for rolling)
• 2 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp softened unsalted butter
• 1 tsp milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt
• 2-3 tsp filling of choice

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients except the filling in a bowl until a greasy but not sticky dough forms. If it is too dry or too wet, add more milk or flour, respectively. Then put it to chill in the fridge for 10-30 minutes. Then flour your work surface, and begin to roll out the dough until it is about ⅛ of an inch thick. Depending on how large of cookie you want, use any circle-shaped object to cut it out. I used the measuring cup for my rice cooker, but a deli container or a Mason jar would also work. Then place the desired amount of filling in the center of the dough, but not more than a teaspoon. Next,c arefully fold the sides in, and pinch the corners. I folded the corners back into the Hamantaschen to fully prevent the filling from leaking, but that is optional. Then bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes and enjoy!